Details

During 1958 and 1959, Pan American World Airways took delivery of 22 Boeing 707 jetliners. This statistic alone made Pan American the world’s leading airline to usher in the jet age.

Although the travelling public were already well familiar with flying on propellor driven airliners, the new jetliners were such a large step forward that the airlines went to great efforts to educate and promote the new mode of travel to the travelling public.

Whilst many airlines of the day produced films to promote their new jet aircraft, very few such films survive today in excellent condition. Often the colours have faded and the film has worn over the years of poor storage conditions and improper handling. Very few films were filmed and distributed on kodachrome stock due to the high cost.

This particular Pan American film was produced in 1959, and is in remarkably good condition. Luckily it was shot on glorious kodachrome cine film stock, so the colours are of rich and deep clarity and the images are crisp and well preserved.

Movies like this are the closest we can get to accessing a time machine to reach back and experience the golden age of jet travel. This lovely promo film takes us to the Pan American base at Idelwild Airport where we experience an engine test, a visit to flight operations. We then accompany passengers from the Pan American ticket counter, through the airport for their Boeing 707 departure to Paris. All filmed in glorious kodachrome colour.

Although the image quality is of amazing quality, sadly, the producers of the film did not include actual live sound recordings of the actual Boeing 707. During the engine start and run-up sequence, nor of the Boeing 707 taxi and departure at the end of the film. Which is most unfortunate as so little (if any) actual live capture sound footage exists of the first generate straight pipe Boeing 707s that were produced in the late 1950s.

That said, we must be thankful that this film was made and exists through today, so it can be enjoyed for its archival and historic importance.